Which is the Best Screen Recorder for Windows?

People use screen recording tools for many different reasons. Using these programs, you can capture streaming video to watch offline later, save video from YouTube, capture Skype calls, etc. There are lots of good screen recorders on the market; our goal is to compare the most popular programs and find which is the top recording software for Windows. We chose 7 programs for our review*:

Bandicam

CamStudio

Camtasia Studio

Fraps

Movavi Screen Capture Studio

Screencast-o-Matic

Snagit

Screen Capture Software Comparison

This table shows the most important features of the above programs. To drill down into the characteristics in detail, click on the little arrows in the first column. At the bottom of the table, you will see the place occupied by each contestant. Let’s see which software is better than the others!

Comparison parameters

Movavi Screen Capture Studio

Camtasia Studio

Snagit

Bandicam

Screencast-O-Matic

CamStudio

Fraps

Ranking

Winner

2nd place

3rd place

4th place

5th place

6th place

7th place

User interface

great

good

great

great

good

poor

poor

Performance

great

great

great

great

good

good

good

Video capturing

good

good

good

great

good

good

good

Webcam recording

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

Changing of the capture frame size

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

Online video capturing

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Skype calls capturing

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Video game capturing

-

-

-

+

-

-

+

Audio capturing

great

great

great

great

great

great

good

Line-in

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Microphone

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

System audio

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

Video editing functions

great

great

poor

poor

good

absent

absent

Timeline

+

+

+

-

-

-

-

Splitting and cutting

+

+

+

+

+

-

-

Effects

+

+

-

-

-

-

-

Animated transitions

+

+

-

-

+

-

-

Titles

+

+

-

-

+

-

-

Help and support

great

great

great

good

good

good

poor

E-mail

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Live chat

18 hours a day

4 hours a day

4 hours a day

-

-

-

-

Tutorials

+

+

+

+

+

+

-

Forum/Community

+

+

+

+

-

+

-

Price

$49.95

$299

$49.95

$39

$15/year

Free

$37

Movavi Screen Capture Studio

Movavi Screen Capture Studio has a clean, intuitive interface, high-level functionality, and an accessible price that can satisfy the demands of most users. After recording your screencast, you can open it in the built-in video editor which offers a wide range of options that can help you create professional presentations and video lessons. In addition, you can get professional help, usually in your native language, from Movavi’s support team.

2nd Place: Camtasia Studio

Camtasia Studio is a powerful screen recorder with a multifunctional video editor. The problem with the software is its complexity - it can be difficult for beginning users to quickly master the program. Another thing that can scare off many users is the price - Camtasia costs $299, which is a lot when compared with Movavi Screen Capture Studio, which offers a similar set of functions for only $49.95.

Strengths:

Powerful recording and editing tools

Good help and support

Weaknesses:

Not easy to master, quite expensive

3rd Place: Snagit

The strongest aspect of Snagit is the image capturing function. You can capture any part of your screen, take screenshots of programs, video games, and even whole web pages. You can then edit the screenshots using the built-in image editor. There is also a video editor, which offers less than the image editor in terms of functionality. Snagit is perfect for capturing and editing screenshots, but less functional in terms of editing captured video.

Strengths:

Great tools for capturing and editing images

Easy-to-use interface

Good help and support

Weaknesses:

Small number of video editing options

4th Place: Bandicam

Bandicam is a video game recorder which can also capture online videos, web streams, etc. As well as being easy-to-use, the program provides advanced settings for experienced users. Non-technical users can find a variety of useful tutorials on the official website. The only drawback of Bandicam is the lack of video editing options.

Strengths:

A powerful desktop recorder and video game capture software

Intuitive interface

Good technical support

Weaknesses:

No video editor.

5th Place: Screencast-o-Matic

Screencast-o-Matic is an online/offline program that has a neat recording module and a video editor with basic functions. It is an effective and affordable program for those who don’t need a lot of video editing options from a screen recorder.

Strengths:

All the standard functions of a good screen recorder

The extended paid version is not expensive

Weaknesses:

The interface in the video editing module can be confusing

Some users may want more functionality in the video editor

6th Place: CamStudio

CamStudio includes only the bare essentials for successful screen recording, but it does let you choose the size of the capture region. Additionally, it is freeware. CamStudio cannot compete with software like Movavi Screen Capture Studio or Camtasia, but it can serve as a basic free alternative to programs like Fraps.

Strengths:

Free software with a simple interface that includes the basic recording features

Weaknesses:

Too basic for users who want to create professional-looking screencasts

7th Place: Fraps

Fraps’ functionality is similar to Bandicam. It is a simple screen recorder for capturing video games or other activity from your computer. The interface is rather clumsy, so it can be difficult for a newbie to quickly get started. Users seeking help will find only a brief FAQ section on the official website. It also lacks any video editing options.

Strengths:

A solid set of recording features

Can capture full screen video games

Weaknesses:

The complex interface can confuse a new user

Lack of support

Lack of a video editor

Limited to full-screen recording

Click the circle buttons to switch between the programs

We hope that our article was useful to you and helped to decide which screen recorder suits you best! If we've managed to convince you that Screen Capture Studio is your best choice, click the buttons below to visit the product page for more details or try the program for free right now!